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Stahel states that in a sustainable economy, taxes on renewable resources including work—human labour—are wrong and should be abandoned. The resulting loss of state revenue could be compensated by taxing the consumption of non-renewable resources in the form of materials and energies, and taxing waste and emissions.

Not taxing renewable resources seems to be in the very logic of a sustainable society. Yet human labour—work—is a primary renewable resource which has never been recognised as such by politicians.

‘Eating people is wrong’ is a statement which most people will support and most will adhere to; ‘taxing renewable energies is wrong’ sounds equally right for most people.

Many governments subsidise such renewable resources as biomass, solar and wind energy. Yet human labour – work – is another renewable resource which, when intelligently used, has traditionally been taxed in most countries, but when wasted, is supported by social welfare.

The industrial economy is transforming from a production-based model into a more intelligent performance-based model. Yet despite the proven benefits that selling performance provides, too many managers and policy makers still focus on designing, manufacturing, and selling goods using costly economic models and production methods.

This has now been confirmed for 2-4th March 2010 in the West Midlands. March 3rd will be a full day of themed presentations, with the afternoon of 2nd as keynote speeches and 4th as an optional visit to Caterpillar, Shrewsbury.

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The book shows how, by thinking ‘smart’, companies and governments can economically profit from technological progress and at the same time contribute to sustainable development. Replete with both successful and failed examples, this useful tool for tomorrow’s functional economy.